A Trail Blazing Actor and an Empathetic Documentary


Tracey Harding looks back on an autumn of abundant treats, with some wonderful acting from Sarah Gordy in the BBC’s Strike and an interesting cinema documentary featuring adults with Down’s syndrome in the BFI London Film Festival.

 

Strike – ‘The Silkworm’, BBC1, Sunday 10 September 2017

The Grown-ups, Director Maite Aberadi, 2016

The talented Sarah Gordy featured in the second instalment of the BBC’s Strike mysteries by J.K Rowling – The Cuckoo’s Calling. Sarah is blazing a trail for actors with learning disabilities, having previously been seen in episodes of Call the Midwife and Doctors, as well as starring in Upstairs, Downstairs.  She gave a heart-wrenching performance as Orlando Quinn, daughter of Owen, who has been brutally murdered.  He leaves behind his wife Leonora who is struggling to take care of their daughter who was brain damaged at birth. Frankly, the intensity of Sarah’s performance made for some difficult viewing at times, but in a cast of talented actors, including Monica Dolan as her mother, she was mesmerising to watch. I look forward to her future projects and continued development as a screen actor, role model and champion for people with learning disabilities.

A tale of four adults

October has seen the 61st BFI London Film Festival take place in cinemas around the capital.  It is an annual opportunity for more than 300 films to be shown from approximately 500 countries.  This year saw the inclusion of a film from Chile The Grown-ups, directed by Maite Aberadi.  The documentary follows adults with Downs Syndrome at a training centre where they work in the catering department.  The film offers an observational and empathetic study of the students who are middle-aged and mature enough to seek independent living, but do not possess the finances or emotional stability to pursue these on their own.  Reflecting issues for people with learning disabilities internationally, most of the time spent training and working in the centre’s catering department is not rewarded financially or recognised.  The film’s four central subjects are strong and charismatic.  Anita wants to escape the boredom of the training centre and marry Andres, a fellow classmate.  Rita is frustrated by her emotions and how to deal with them, and Ricardo is trying to work and save money for his future:

“I want to be someone, like a homeowner. I want to make enough to keep my home.  I want to build a family with someone who makes me feel special.  That’s what I’m saving for.”

The Grown-ups ultimately highlights the need for expanded job and life opportunities for people with learning disabilities, and their repeated mantra ‘Who are we? conscious adults’, needs to be heard and recognised by a wider audience.

More Sanctuary

The love between two people with learning disabilities and their attempts to forge a relationship together in The Grown-ups shares a theme with Sanctuary, which I wrote about in the last issue.  I promised to update you on further developments, and I am delighted to report that the film had its UK premiere at the Oska Bright Film Festival in Brighton on Wednesday 15th November. This was the eighth annual festival of films made by, or featuring, adults with learning disabilities and runs over three days showing more than a hundred films from around the world, including short films and animation.

There will be a report in a later issue of Community Living. The film has also been shown in Hawaii, and will be screened at the International Film Festival in Poland.  Another UK film festival screening took place at Manchester Home on the 29th December, with more to follow in 2018.